Oven appliances typically include a relatively large unused space at the base of the oven cavity, referred to as the sump. Food cooked in the oven cavity typically rests on a rack within the oven cavity and not the floor of the cavity. So the space beneath the lowest rack-support level goes unutilized. The sump in the bottom of cavities has long been unusable space that simply added to the overall volume, or space taken up by the oven appliance.
Traditionally, a heating element is provided below the oven cavity. However, this placement of the heating element has the disadvantage of requiring additional vertical space.
It is common practice for manufacturers to provide sumps in the bottom of oven cavities anywhere from 1 to 3 inches deep for several reasons. For example, the space in a sump provides an increased overall capacity of the oven cavity, which may aid in heat retention or and water retention for steam functionality. Also, a sump can allow spills to be contained and cleaned up more easily. Finally, the structure of the sump can contribute to increased stiffness and structural stability in the oven cavity.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,415,591 and 8,796,590 are directed to an oven appliance having a low-temperature self-cleaning mode. The oven cavity includes a sump that is configured to retain a fluid such as water that is used in the low-temperature self-cleaning mode.
U.S. application Ser. No. 14/871,337, published as 2016/0095469, describes a powered cooking accessory for use inside of an oven cavity. The powered cooking accessory is recessed within a receiving portion of the lowest cooking rack. Although the powered cooking accessory could occupy some of the sump space in the bottom of the oven cavity, it is removably coupled to the lowest oven rack and not to the sump space itself. The powered cooking accessory comprises a vessel that can be a tray-like or pan-like and can include handles or a lid to enclose the vessel. The vessel can further include swappable components such as a steam tray and water basin, cooking stone, grill grates, grill pans, rotisserie rack or the like. The powered cooking accessory includes its own heating element that is coupled with a lower surface of the vessel.
Traditionally, a heating element, which is also sometimes referred to as a “bake element,” is positioned at a base of the oven cavity, either within the cavity or below a base of the oven cavity, e.g. underneath the sump.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,008,478 and U.S. application Ser. No. 13/556,580, published as 2014/0026880, both describe oven appliances having a hidden heating element. For example, the '478 patent describes an oven appliance having a heating element enclosure that provides relatively easy access to a heating element hidden beneath the bottom wall of the oven cavity.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,285,009 describes an electric heating element having laterally spaced side legs interconnected by a front leg, each of the side legs having an inward bend.